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Should Rick Sweet interview for 2011 Major League Managing positions?

Someone brought this up in the Sun Deck, but I thought it was a better Minor League discussion thread. I think the Mariners would be a great place for Rick to cut his teeth in,....provided he can secure a guaranteed 3-year contract. Here's how I see the 2013 Seattle Mariners:

I agree. There's no reason for him to wait out Dusty. It's time for him to interview for several positions around the league and to take one. While there are probably better jobs than the Seattle one (their farm system was abused by Bill Bavasi).

They will get a great 1st Round pick this coming June. Though they didn't have a 1st Round pick this last June, their 1st Pick #43 overall, Taijuan Walker, Pitcher, has a Plus-Fastball, great health, great physical size, and with those tools, the Mariners can work on that piece towards being one of their 25 players on the Major League Roster come 2013. Other players they can expect to be on that roster in 2013:

CF Franklin Gutierrez (age 30 in 2013 and still able to play Centerfield at a Gold Glove level)RF Johermyn Chavez (age 24 in 2013 with 40-homerun capability, something the Mariners haven't had since they moved from the Kingdome to SafeCo Field).LF Jabari Bash (age 23 in 2013 with excellent batting skills (no speed), but a possibility as a Utility Outfielder with the Mariners in 2013)RF (their 2011 1st Round Draft pick.....should be a player with average and power, whether he's a High School prospect or College prospect).3B Felipe Burin (age 21 in 2013 with great bat-eye coordination....only 18 K's this season in 280 Plate Appearances while batting (.295/.413/.440/.904). Grounded in only 2 Double-plays during those 262 balls-in-play. A+++ Baseball IQ.2B Kyle Seager [age 25 in 2013, was their 3rd Round pick in 2009 and puts the ball in play...perfect for SafeCo Field. 174 Hits so far in 2010 at High-A (.345 AVG is 8th in the League this year).] 2nd Base is his best bet for the Majors as he doesn't have the power as an Outfielder nor the speed, but he is consistent enough Defensively to be an everyday 2nd Baseman.SS Nick Franklin (2009 1st Round Draft pick of the Seattle Mariners has the speed, range, and athletic ability to play Shortstop everyday at the Major League level. MidWest League All-Star in 2010, Franklin is young enough to take every level one year at a time. A .942 OPS against Right-handers this season, Nick struggled with only a .548 OPS against Left-Handers. A .903 OPS post All-Star game should advance him into the California League with the High Desert Mavericks next season. I expect him to get through the California League (High-A), the Southern League (AA), and the Pacific Coast League during 2011 and 2012 so that he's ready to be on the regular 25-man roster in 2013.)UI Ji-Man Choi (22 in 2013 out of Korea. Choi batted .366 in his first stint in Pro-ball (159 PA's) before being called up to High-A where he's currently batting .308. With fairly good plate discipline (36 K's in 183 PA's), OK speed (10 of 11 SB's) with great discipline on Defense (1 error for a .997 Fielding percentage), Choi is one to watch over the next two seasons (his age 20 and 21 years) to see if he can maintain these early signs of a Major League Professional attitude and work ethic. I'm projecting that he at least maintains enough of these qualities to earn himself a roster spot on the 25-man team in 2014, if not 2013.1B Rich Poythress (If Choi doesn't earn the Starting gig at First Base in 2013 it may be because 2009 1st Round Draft pick Rich Poythress has it locked down. Poythress (age 25 in 2013) is currently batting (.310/.377/.572/.949) at High-Desert in the California League (A+). With 30 Doubles and 30 Homeruns this season, Poythress is displaying all signs of becoming that power First Baseman the Mariners will be looking for in 2013. With a .989 Fielding percentage last season and a .991 Fielding percentage this season, Rich appears to be able to handle the First Base position defensively at the Major League level. This will improve the Defense of the entire Mariners infield with a glove like this manning 1st Base. Bavasi's last draft pick looks to be a good one (along with his 2nd and 3rd Round picks from 2009).C Blake Ochoa [Age 27 in 2013, Ochoa is currently tearing it up in 2010. Currently OPS-ing against Left-handers 1.076 and against Right-handers 1.003 with his current team (Clinton in the Midwest League), Blake also OPS'd .968 with his former team in 2010 (High Desert in the California League). Blake is showing signs that he could be the backup Catcher for the Mariners in 2013.]

The Mariners took pitching with 11 of their first 17 picks in the 2010 MLB draft. Some of that should show itself come 2013.

There's enough promise there that if the Mariners were to offer Rick Sweet a "guaranteed" 3-year contract, I would take it if I were him as he'd have a very good chance of producing a winning ball-club in 2013 (and then hope for the best after that).

SP King Felix will only be 27.

SP Doug Fister will only be 29 and has shown signs that he can pitch in the Majors (A WHIP of 1.259 through 189 IP in the Majors and a 2.74/1 K/BB ratio.) (.269/.309/.406/.715 overall) (.220/.253./.308/.561 in tie games and a .227/.244./.250/.494 in Late and Close Games shows that he just gets stronger as the games go on.) By 2013, he should be a solid 210+ IP #3 Starter for the Mariners.)

SP Michael Pineda (Age 24 in 2013, has already advanced to AAA Tacoma at the age of 21. While overcoming an injury from 2010 (only 47 IP in 2009 in 12 appearances (.0782 WHIP), Pineda has thrown for 135 Innings in 2010 matching the 138 Innings he threw in 2008 (1.041 WHIP). His Strikeout-to-Walk Ratio of 4.51-to-1 for 2010 is impressive at the AA and AAA levels. Michael is going to be knocking on the door to be a Starter for the Mariners in 2012 and should solidify himself as a Starter in 2013.)

SP Blake Beavan (2007 1st Round pick (Rangers) Blake Beavan has never shown the ability to strike people out on a consistent basis. Being traded to the Seattle Mariners may prove to be the best thing that could have happened to him. Commanding Cliff Lee type of control (68 BB's in 463 Minor League Innings), Beavan is the perfect type of pitcher to take advantage of the spacious confines of SafeCo Field. With 163+ Innings pitched each of the last two years, Blake is earning the reputation to be able to go out there every 5th Day and give a team a chance to win with 6 or 7 quality innings pitched. Put a good Defense behind him and he should be able to maintain a sub-4.00 ERA in the Majors. A full season at AAA in 2011 should prepare him for an up-and-down 2012 campaign before he takes over the #4 spot in the 2013 Mariners rotation.)

SP Brandol Perez (Only age 19 in 2013!!!, Perez is the M's top Lat Am prospect, led by a fastball-slider-curveball repertoire with a hard changeup on its way. The organization has him focusing more on the curveball now, both for the good of his arm and for the further development of what projects as the better of the two breaking balls. He's touched 88 mph but sits 83-86 and just turned 17 earlier this month. The Dominican native made five starts in 2010, including four over the final three weeks of the season when he fanned 28 batters in 21 innings of work. He did not allow an earned run during the same span. His fastball is generally straight but he gets good plane considering his high three-quarters arm slot. Despite lack of experience Perez grinds it with runners on base, a sign of maturity, and has a solid pickoff move. He's also a good athlete and fields his position well. His control and command are slightly below average, but that's typical for most 16 and 17-year-olds, foreign or domestic. He has good size and frame.)

Anyway, as you can see there is plenty of talent to look forward to in 2013 for any Manager to get excited about.....if he can land a guaranteed 3-year contract. It's not fair to ask any Manager to do anthing with the 2011, or even 2012 Seattle Mariners. They should again finish last in the Division both seasons. But, come 2013, they should be battling into September for a playoff spot.

BTW, looking at those 2009 and 2010 draft picks, I'm kind of glad now that Bavasi is a Special Assistant to the GM here.

Re: Should Rick Sweet interview for 2011 Major League Managing positions?

Rick Sweet, Ted Power, and Smokey Garrett may very well be the top coaching staff in the minor leagues, and all are deserving of Major League jobs, and should most certainty interview for them (though it would be a huge loss for the Bats). If Sweet does leave the Bats, I wonder if Corky might interview for that position...

Re: Should Rick Sweet interview for 2011 Major League Managing positions?

Originally Posted by JaxRed

There is no way that Miller would be given a AAA managers' job. You want to manage or coach, prove you got some skills at A ball or below.

A number of managers that were former catchers, such as A. J. Hinch, Joe Girardi, and Joe Torre, did not coach or manage in the minors before doing so in the big leagues. I think Corky has more then proven he has "got some skills" - I have heard Reds and Bats pitchers about how much they like having Corky as their catcher because of his veteran leadership, or how important he is in the clubhouse. In fact, I remember broadcasters talking about how Corky will be a great manager some day when he was with the Reds.

Re: Should Rick Sweet interview for 2011 Major League Managing positions?

With the season Corky is having someone might give him a shot to be a backup mlb catcher next season. I think it would have to be a team where one of their top 2 catchers plays 1b also and they carry 3 catchers.

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